Traditionally, enterprise companies follow a standard process for developing applications that splits the architecture in to three distinct layers. First, a client (web/native view) renders and makes requests to a backend system. This server, generally composed of a single codebase that contains a massive set of business logic to handle…

Smartwatches mean different things to different people. For some, the new gadget category represents another unnecessary technological innovation, one that degrades social interaction and distracts people from the world around them. Others, myself included, have been more optimistic about the technology. As hype has been built over the…

In the past few months, the world has been bombarded by smartwatch launches. Ever since Android Wear was announced in March, more and more OEMs have been releasing their interpretation of what a computer on your wrist will look like. Even Apple, famous for waiting until a technology has been perfected before releasing it to consumers…

Every time Facebook releases a drastic redesign or re-imagining of one of its applications I prepare for a bombardment of commentary from friends and acquaintances, condemning the destruction of the product. This distaste, this fear of “the new” is a universally accepted practice across all aspects of modern technology. Users will get…

Microsoft’s mobile history is one of brief success, followed by years of rework and strategy pivots. If you had asked an industry analyst what the future of mobile would look like in 2007, he would have used this market share graph to predict Windows Mobile’s continued dominance. Today we know a very different story occurred, one where…

By now you have probably heard about Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp. $19 billion. $320 million per employee. $35 per user. 10% of Facebook’s market cap. These are impressive numbers that beg the question: Why was this small company worth so much? People attribute WhatsApp’s success to a number of factors: it was heavily focused on…

Android is dominating the mobile space. The latest estimates show that in the second quarter of 2013, 79% of newly purchased smartphones ran the open source operating system. This massive growth has largely been driven by the free nature of the OS: Google doesn’t charge upfront because it makes money delivering ads to consumers while…

Apple had an impressive Keynote today. Whether you love your Galaxy S4, are a loyal fan of Windows 8, or have been living under a rock with a Blackberry, everyone can respect the boldness of Apple’s product decisions. Since the iPhone’s introduction in 2007, Apple has dominated the mobile market. People will argue that Android has a…

I had the pleasure of using Uber for the first time this weekend while visiting a friend in the city; I was blown away. Most people think of traditional tech startups as an entirely virtual product: a new social network, a way consuming news, an eCommerce service, etc. Uber is perfectly tackling an enormous problem by leveraging…

Apple has done a fantastic job with iOS but as many within the tech circle are realizing, it’s starting to show its age. The software has gone through a plethora of tweaks and adjustments over the years but for the most part it has remained the same lovable, easy-to-use closed ecosystem that is responsible for the amazing market position…

I want to like Windows 8, I really do. Ever since Steven Sinofsky stood up at Wall Street Journal’s D10 conference a few years ago and revealed the dramatic reimagining of Microsoft’s prized operating system, I”ve been hooked. It just made sense to me: instead of lugging around a tablet and a laptop, why not converge the two? And so I…

I’m currently typing this up on my Dell XPS 1530. It’s been a great computer and has served me well for the past 3 years, but it’s starting to show its age. Despite my desire to upgrade today, I’m holding out until the end of 2012. Why? Because laptops are about to get a hell-of-a-lot better. Although I’m still undecided between the new…

So you finally got that new iPhone to compliment the Macbook Pro. Oh and the new iPad for reading on the train…did you forget to mention the shiny new iMac at your office? As the price of computing gadgets continues to be driven down, people are buying more and more devices. This new reality has pushed companies to develop ways for…

One year ago I stopped buying hardcover books and switched exclusively to Kindle. Now this may seem odd considering I don’t own a Kindle and most of my reading has to be done on the small and sometimes cramped screen of my iPhone but it’s worth the trade off. Yes, if I were sitting on my couch at home I will admit a hardcover copy might…

Mobile is heating up. iOS and Android are fighting for users as newcomers enter to gain a piece of the market. At the same time the social platform war is equally enraged. Facebook is attempting to maintain its commanding lead, Twitter is bringing various 3rd party services in-house to better “own” their product, and Google+ is…

Next year something very interesting is going to happen; Microsoft will reimagine what the tablet is supposed to be. Up until now every manufacturer has gone with Apple’s original philosophy that these slate devices are glorified smartphones. Whether it’s the Galaxy Tab running Android, the HP TouchPad with WebOS, RIM’s Playbook with QNX…

Steve Ballmer is in trouble. Any Wall Street analyst that tells you Microsoft’s record breaking profits are a sign the company is stronger than ever doesn’t understand the current landscape of Silicon Valley. Microsoft has become an institution, one that almost every company and every consumer uses when interacting with their laptop or…

I’m tired of the iOS vs. Android debate. Not tired because I think my iPhone 4 is superior or because my friends from home won’t stop mentioning the fact that Google+ is out on Android and I can’t join their “Huddle.” I’m tired of the argument because really…it doesn’t matter. Most people engaging in the debate between mobile operating…

When we examine the role large technology companies are playing in the world today, it’s important to see how connected they all are. Microsoft makes Office for Mac, Apple’s iOS still uses Google for searches (though they allow you to choose other services), and even Google is making apps for iOS before they are released on Android (Disco…

I got a call from my parents about a month ago to catch up and at the end of the conversation my mom casually told me I had a package waiting at home for me. I thought nothing of it till she added, “I think it’s from…Google?” Three months after I signed up to test Google’s latest and greatest experiment, a new OS revolving around Chrome…

The internet has had a profound effect on how humans engage with each other and gain access to new information. From the very first search engines to the emergence of Wikipedia, the amount of knowledge that can accessed within seconds changes the way people perceive the world. The phrase “Google it” has replaced “I don’t know” as the…

I love my iPhone. I love it as a remote for my TV, as my go to source for news content, as my iPod, as my gaming device: but it doesn’t have BBM. One feature is not a deal breaker when it comes to smartphones but the potential to have massive group conversations is an extremely social and intriguing concept (so much potential that some…

The jailbreak for the iOS 4.0.1 was released yesterday. They chose to make it a mobile website you simply had to visit on your phone, then slide to begin the download (identical looking to the lock screen slider on the iPhone, clever). Naturally when i tried late last night the servers were swamped and I had no luck. Right before I went…